


Cold Front

by WhisperOfWarmth



Series: Fodder for the Future [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), kylux - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren Fluff, Awful At Writing Sex Scenes, Bottom Armitage Hux, Boys Kissing, Caretaking, Declarations Of Love, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gay Male Character, Gentle Kissing, Gentleness, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kissing, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylux - Freeform, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Romantic Fluff, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Sick Character, Sickfic, Soft Kylux, Sorry Not Sorry, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) - Freeform, Surprise Kissing, The Force Awakens, Top Kylo Ren, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhisperOfWarmth/pseuds/WhisperOfWarmth
Summary: Tension, stress, bad days . . . all of these things float away from General Hux, after one of his romps with Kylo Ren. The two entered into a passionate sexual relationship nearly a year ago, and Hux was more than satisfied with what they had going with each other.Kylo, however, didn't seem to be.He's been dropping hints, both big and small, that he might be interested in pursuing something with the redhead that's more than what they're doing in his bedroom.But Hux, being Hux, isn't exactly receptive to the idea . . . or IS he?





	Cold Front

General Hux balanced on his hands and knees on the large bed in the dark bedroom, his palms pressing into the silky sheets. Behind him, hands on Hux's hips, pumping in and out of him at a steady pace, was his co-commander, Kylo Ren.

Normally they would engage in positions more creative than this, but tonight, this was perfect. Hux had had a brutal day at work, and wasn't in the mood to try anything that would require much movement on his part. Ren, as always, was accommodating to Hux's desires.

And for that, Hux was grateful. 

He needed this, in a way he couldn't really explain, even to himself. He needed this feeling of being physically controlled, of having himself moved and explored to the whims of another person.

And Kylo Ren made him feel, well, special. Ren's body was undeniably, un-debatably beautiful. Hux, in contrast, had always hated his own body. Too thin, too soft; everything that his father had criticized him about since he was a child. But Ren, made him feel whole. Complete. As if his body was exactly the way it was supposed to be, as if it was every bit as perfect and desirable as Ren's.

And Hux appreciated that feeling, more than Ren realized. Appreciated it, and needed it, the way he needed (and received) so many things from this act with Ren.

Ren's weight on him, his smooth skin, the low, primitive scent of their sweat and their sex-- these were things that Hux NEEDED, that helped him return to a calm center after a hard day.

Which he was having more and more of, lately.

Behind him, Kylo, his voice falling away as it always did when he approached his pinnacle, began pumping into him at a nearly frantic pace, his breathing harsh and somewhat labored. It only took a few moments of this speed, and Hux bit down on his lip, attempting to stifle his cries as he came, releasing himself into Ren's sheets. He could feel himself convulse and squeeze around Ren's organ, milking it as the dark force user finally achieved his own orgasm, spilling into him with breathy grunts.

Silence, breathing, and then Ren was pulling himself out and away, falling back on his side of the bed. Hux let his knees give way and lay down on his stomach, closing his eyes and letting his racing heart fall slowly back into its smooth rhythm. There was a towel that Ren kept on the shelf above his bed for cleanup purposes, and Hux reached up and grabbed this, dabbing at himself until he felt the slightest semblance of neatness again.

_Their very first time doing this, Hux had felt such a strong, confusing blend of pleasure, agony, shame, and elation, that he hadn't had the words for it. The only thing he could think to say afterwards, as absurd as it sounded (and STILL sounded to him, today) was "Thank you."_

_"'Thank you'? For?"_

_"I needed that. I feel so much clearer now. Better. So thank you."_

_And instead of being snide about what Hux had said, or letting it effect his ego, Ren had simply smiled and said "Thank you, too," back to him._

Now, rested, Hux slowly pulled himself into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, then leaned down and grabbed his pants from the floor. Lifting his hips, he shrugged himself into them, ignoring the soreness that the movement created.

"You're leaving?"

Hux turned his head, surprised. Ren had been quiet for so long, the sounds of his breathing so smooth and even, that Hux had thought him asleep.

"Yes." 

He picked up another item off the floor, thinking it to be his shirt. It wasn't, it was Ren's.

"Is my shirt on your side?"

The bed creaked slightly, and Hux heard the small ruffling of covers as Ren leaned over his side and looked. He found the shirt and handed it to Hux, who shook it out before pulling it over his head.

"Will I see you later?"

Hux buttoned his shirt with shaking fingers. It was cold in here. Outside of the covers, outside of the warmth of Ren's body, Hux hadn't been aware just HOW cold it was.

"You'll see me several times later, I'm sure," Hux said, getting up and going into the refresher. He began trying to comb some sort of order into his unkempt hair. Throwing his voice over his shoulder, he continued:

"I believe we're both due to attend the meeting on the officer hangar bay renovations, later this afternoon. And later-later, we both are scheduled to be present at the latest cadet graduation."

Ren didn't answer, so Hux had thought he'd actually gone to sleep. He turned on the water in the sink and began washing his face, and the coital-based sweat he knew had gathered there.

When he reached for a towel and began drying his face, when he opened his eyes, he almost jumped back a step, surprised. Unheard, Ren had gotten out of bed, and was standing in the doorframe, watching him.

"I didn't mean all that," Ren said, quietly. "I meant, later-later. Like, _tonight_ -later."

Hux shrugged uncomfortably. Doing this with Ren, while not exactly new, wasn't at a level he was comfortable with, either. In stark contrast to how he treated everything else in his life, he didn't prefer to plan out their trysts. 

And there was something more to it, something that pushed at Hux's boundary-levels of comfort even more.

Hux wasn't imbued with any of the 'magic' that Kylo was. He couldn't move objects, he couldn't read minds. Yet what had made him so successful in his career, in his LIFE, was that he was blessed with a remarkable aptitude for reading people. He could read people startling well, which had proven to be beneficial to himself over the years.

He had been having this sexual relationship with Ren long enough to, inadvertently, get to know him a bit. And Hux knew, he _sensed_ , that Ren's feelings for him had been steadily progressing, from rivalry, to sporadic friendship, to physical pleasure, to -- more.

Kylo Ren felt MORE for Hux, and he wanted more _with_ Hux. More than rumpled bedsheets, sweating and moaning.

He told Hux this, but not with actual words, or not precisely. Everything was conveyed in Ren's body language. Attempting to reach out and touch him more, in non-sexualized ways. 'Off-handedly' suggesting, more than once, that Hux stay the entire night with him.

And then there was that kiss.

As an unspoken rule, when they had sex, no kissing on the lips was really allowed. Kisses, if needed at all, were given along the throat, the chest, and various other spots, but never the lips.

Last week, (or was that just a few days ago? Hux seemed to lose track of time, when he was with Ren) Ren had grabbed him and kissed him. _Really_ kissed him. And the intensity of it, the--the **sweetness** , had shaken Hux to his core. He had quickly disengaged from that unexpected contact, and Ren hadn't tried to do that again--but still. The message, the implication, had not been lost on the shrewd general.

And here Ren was, again, trying to get more from Hux, than Hux was ready to give.

"Look, not to be crude, but unless you're hinting that you'd like another go-around, I have to leave."

A pause, and then:

"So if I said that I wanted to be inside you, again, you'd stay? But for no other reason?"

Hux made a low sound in the back of his throat, at Ren's blunt, somewhat vulgar choice of words.

"Yes."

"But what about . . ."

Hux held up his hand, stopping Ren's sentence in its tracks.

"There are no buts, there are no why's, or maybes. This is exactly what it's meant to be: sex. Nothing more. _Nothing. More._ Do you understand me?"

Ren didn't answer, and Hux walked around him, grabbing his coat off he floor and slinging it over his shoulders. He got to the door and barely had his hand in the button, when Ren called out to him, quietly.

"Hux."

Hux didn't turn around, kept his head up and his stance rigid.

"What?"

He sensed Ren walking slowly up behind him, and he wanted to run. He wanted to, but felt rooted to the spot.

"You know, I came from a family where we rarely needed our words, or at least words spoken out-loud, to communicate with each other. Even my father could speak into our minds, if he tried hard enough. So maybe that's why I'm not the best, at verbally expressing myself. Maybe that's why I haven't really told you, yet, how I feel about you."

"Ren, please don't --"

"And that makes you uncomfortable, I know. More than that, it makes you angry. You feel like this 'situation' between us has already long since spiraled out of control, and you, or me, admitting that the issue is a lot deeper than sex; well, that infuriates you. I can feel that it does."

Hux didn't answer. Nor did he turn around.

Ren sighed. "You can go, you know. I've said what I needed to say. How you choose to respond to it, well, I can't control that. Goodnight, Armitage."

Ren moved away from him, and Hux heard the low squeak of springs as Ren got back into bed.

"Goodnight, Kylo," Hux said, softly, walking out and closing the door behind him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He didn't meet Ren again for sex for almost a month, after that day. Things had gotten too real, too close to the realm of feeling, for Hux to handle.

Around the base, or on board the Finalizer, they treated each other with a cool, aloof professionalism. They didn't speak of what was going on (or, rather, NOT going on) between them. Partly because the conversation would have been painful for either of them, but mainly because Hux would not allow them to have any personal, one on one time together in a public setting, if he could absolutely help it.

But Hux, was miserable.

At first he thought it was just the sex he missed. A reasonable assumption, considering that had been a huge part of his life for the past year, and now it had abruptly ended.

But he knew, deep down, that it was more than that.

He . . . he missed Ren, himself.  
He missed their conversations, he missed their physical closeness.

He missed the sweet little things Ren would do for him, even though Hux had never acknowledged or shown appreciation for these things.

Like, the incense.

Hux had mentioned to him once, a very long time ago, that he liked the smell of the incense that Snoke used in his chambers. It was a rare scent, that of a flower-bearing tree that existed only in the outermost region of the galaxy. He had mentioned this so casually that he hadn't thought Ren even heard him at the time.

But the next day, Hux went to his office, and found a small wrapped package sitting on his desk. He opened it, and inside was a large handle of the rare and fragrant sticks, tied together with a silk bow.

He didn't know to what lengths Ren must have gone to, to procure those for him. Or what efforts.

And it seemed Ren was ALWAYS doing those nice little things for him, taking the time to try and make Hux's day just a little bit more special, to make it better.

And Hux, being the closed-off regimented arsehole that he was, had shown nowhere NEAR the proper level of gratitude for what Ren did for him.

And now, he guessed, he was paying the price for that.

There came one day, towards the end of a particularly hectic week, when he realized that he had gone quite some time without seeing or hearing Ren. Which wasn't to say this was unusual, really: Ren was sent on missions by Snoke frequently, and lots of times with little to no notice beforehand.

Yet when Hux checked his logs, he saw no such thing for Kylo Ren. In fact, Kylo was supposed to have been present at a meeting that Hux had held a few hours ago, but he hadn't been there.

Telling himself that he wasn't worried, only curious, Hux pulled out his datapad and brought up Snoke's name. He thought about what to say that didn't sound prying, and finally came up with,

"Please send Lord Ren to sector 223-Ae-12 when he is finished with his training. Re:General Hux needs assistance in planning raid on Kanusya."

He waited, and in a little while, one of Snoke's aides sent him back the message,

"The Supreme Leader says to inform General Hux that Lord Ren is ill, confined to his quarters until further notice."

Oh.

So he was sick, that was all.

No big deal; this was the time of year when a lot of individuals on base came down with some ailment or other.

No need to worry, or to care. Because either response was something that one did for somebody they, well, loved. Not someone who was simply a co-worker.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Hux knew the security code, of course. He had memorized it, all these nights he had crept into Ren's quarters for sex. He knew it, and he could punch it in and enter. But doing so seemed mildly terrifying, to Hux. He had never attempted to come for a 'visit', and after their last conversation on the subject, he wasn't entirely sure that he'd be welcome.

After standing and internally debating on it, he realized that his concern for Ren overpowered his concern for rejection, and he quickly tapped the code into the pad, entering the doors.

He looked around; the room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight of the window. He nearly tripped over a pair of boots left near the door. Sighing, he picked them up and stood them neatly in the corner. Then he noticed the shirt. And the pants. And the robe, all in messy little whirls around the couch. Ren was such a slob sometimes that Hux had to wonder how he had survived so long without some kind of parental supervision. He had never met Leia Organa personally, but, given the intelligence reports on her, it appeared she was a very neat and orderly individual, much like Hux himself. A shame, really, that she had been unable to pass on those qualities to her son.

"She tried," came a voice from the dark, causing Hux to flinch, startled, "But it never took with me."

His eyes more adjusted to the dark, now, Hux could make out a shape on the couch. Horizontal, buried underneath a heavy blanket. A glass of water sat on the table in front of him, as well as several crumpled tissues. 

Hux picked his way across the room and, moving the glass, sat on the edge of the table facing Ren.

Ren looked up at him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, General," Ren said in a rough, congested-sounding voice. "But I'm not quite up for sex right now. You'll have to come back when I'm better."

Hux frowned. "Is that why you think I'm here?"

Ren shrugged. The movement must have created a tickle in his throat, and he began to cough, hard. Hunched into a ball, hand over his mouth, he excelled the increasingly painful sounds from his chest. When he finished, he reached for a tissue from the box sitting in front of him on the floor, blowing his nose and letting it drop to the ground.

As Hux watched, Ren levitated his water glass off the table and into his hand, taking slow, cautious sips. When he was through he sighed, then used the Force to push the glass back on to the table.

"Why _else_ would you be here?", Ren answered Hux's question as he closed his eyes. 

"Did it occur to you, that I may have been worried? That you didn't turn up to your shift on the bridge, and failed to respond to my datapad messages, leaving me to deduce that something was horribly wrong?"

Hux tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible, devoid of emotion; but he must have failed. Apparently Ren could hear the ire evident in his tone, and it made him open his eyes again, wearily searching the General's face.

"Why would you have been worried?", he asked, sounding utterly confused. The unpleasant throbbing tickle was back in his throat, but he pressed on. "All you had to do was ask Snoke as to my whereabouts, which I assume you DID."

"It doesn't matter. In the future, if you're sick like this, I expect to be notified personally. I don't wish to have to go through a third party to receive information I should be getting directly from YOU."

"Hux. Unless we have a project we're working on together, or a mission we're spearheading as a team, I owe nothing to you. What goes on in my life has nothing to do with you personally, so why --"

"Yes, it does. It has everything to do with me. You being ill right now _has **everything** , to do with me."_

"Why?!" 

"Because when you love someone, and they're sick, it's your responsibility to take care of them. No, not 'responsibility'; it's your _right_. You're lying helpless on the sofa, alone, and you didn't tell me. You deprived me of my RIGHT to come over, to sit with you, to take care of you."

Ren was shocked into a stunned, prolonged silence. When he could speak, his voice came out low, his tone conveying one of disbelief.

"Love? You -- you _love_ me?"

Hux nodded, giving Ren a small smile.

"Unfortunately, yes. I do. My brain has tried to talk me out of this but my heart keeps interfering."

"Armitage . . . that's possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."

"So, I feel stupid asking, but . . ."

"I love you, too."

Hux nodded and smiled. "Good. Now, I understand that such admissions of affection and commitment are generally followed by some sort of physical demonstration, the most common one being a kiss. But considering your current state of health, I hope you won't mind if I simply do this, instead."

He leaned over Ren and enclosed him in his arms, lifting him up slightly by the chest and squeezing him lightly. Ren started to cough and Hux, still holding him, patted him firmly on the back until he stopped. He smoothed his hair away from his forehead as he laid him down, then pressed his hand against his cheek, frowning.

"Force, you're warm. And that hack of yours sounds awful. Don't you have any medicine?"

Ren nodded. "I do. It's in the kitchen. But I don't like the taste, so --"

Shaking his head, Hux went into the kitchen and brought in the bottle. He read the back and measured out the correct dosage.

"Whether you like the taste is entirely irrelevant. You have to get better. Now swallow."

Ren took the dreaded tiny cup and drank down the bitter herbal concoction, his lips twisting up in a grimace. Hux pulled out his datapad and set three separate alarms, at four hour intervals, to remind him of when the next doses would be.

"Okay. Now, we should get you into your bed; this couch is no place for proper recuperation."

Ren allowed Hux to help him up and guide him into his bedroom.

"Are you warm enough?", he asked, fussing over him as he tucked the covers around him. "Do you have enough blankets? Should I --"

With surprising strength and speed for one who was sick, Ren grabbed Hux and pulled him down on top of him, kissing him. Hux struggled to get away at first, his mind consumed with thoughts of germs and contamination . . . and then he felt Ren smiling into their kiss. That smile scattered his fears into the wind, and he relaxed, smiling as well as their lips continued to press into one another's.

In what seemed like much too soon, Ren quickly pulled away from him and turned his head in the opposite direction, his hand flying to his mouth as he suffered through another painful-sounding bout of coughs.

"Sorry," he muttered as he lay back down, weakly.

Hux put his hand on Ren's cheek and kissed his forehead, gently.

"It's okay. You sleep now. I'll wake up when it's time for more medicine."

"You really shouldn't stay, Hux. Besides getting sick yourself, I know you probably have lots you need to be doing in your office, and --"

"This will never work between us, Kylo, if you insist on continually questioning my methods," Hux told him with a smile. He sat cross-legged on the bed, opening up one of Kylo's books. 

So Kylo smiled and turned over on his side, facing Hux, and closing his eyes. He was asleep very shortly after that, his peaceful breathing interrupted only by the occasional cough.

Hux wanted to stroke his hair, but he didn't, thinking that that might wake him. He also wanted to climb on top of him, to kiss those unfairly beautiful lips until neither of them could breathe; but he resisted, for the same reason.

Well, no matter.

They'd have plenty of time for those things later on.


End file.
